Former EastEnders star Sandy Ratcliff has died at the age of 70.
The original EastEnders castmember, who played Sue Osman from 1985 until 1989, passed away in a care home in Stamford Hill, North London.
Her body was discovered on Sunday morning having died overnight, reports The Sun.
Sandy starred in the first ever episode of the popular BBC soap in 1985 as cafe owner Ali Osman's long-suffering wife.
The actress battled drugs and booze during her life and trained as a counsellor after beating heroin addiction.
During four years in Albert Square, her character suffered from a phantom pregnancy, the breakdown of her marriage and going insane.
She played a main role in the hard-hitting baby cot death storyline that shocked the nation back in the 80s.
Sandy left her role on EastEnders in 1989 after it was revealed she was struggling with a heroin addiction.
She never returned to the soap but did appear on TV opposite Michael Gambon in Maigret in 1992.
The actress also starred in the BBC 2 versions of A Box Of Swan and Men Of The Month and eventually gave up acting to train as a counsellor.
Sandy then retired completely and spent her final years in a care home in North London.
The former actress had a son, William, with theatre director Terence Palmer in 1973.
She had previously married photographer Peter Wright in 1968 but they broke up.
Sandy's personal life hit the headlines again in 1991 when her then boyfriend, Michael Storey, was accused of murder.
She appeared at the Old Bailey to give Shorey an alibi in her last public apperance.
Her lover Shorey was jailed for life for the murders of two women in 1991.
Sandy reportedly suffered three strokes during her life and had been diagnosed with cancer.
Her death has reportedly been referred to the coroner.
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